After decades in charge, Coliseum Authority says goodbye

Paige Fontenot, executive sales director for the Rapides Parish Coliseum, gives The Town Talk a tour of the newly renovated Rapides Parish Coliseum. Besides a new arena, the coliseum also has suites, banquets and meeting rooms available for rent.
Melinda Martinez and Jim Smilie

For decades, the Rapides Parish Coliseum Authority has overseen management of Alexandria's major sports and events venue.

Through money problems, fears of closure and aborted attempts to pass the Coliseum off to the city of Alexandria, the authority was a constant. It was there when voters in the parish approved a $23 million renovation that they hoped would make the Coliseum a prime venue again.

This week, the board will cease to exist.

Friday marks the official start date of SMG's contract to manage the Coliseum. The company specializes in managing publicly owned facilities, and the Police Jurors that hired SMG hope its experience and connections will bring in the events the Coliseum needs to make it financially.

"I'm sad because I put in so many years," said Chairman Darren Sigur after the authority held its final meeting Monday. "I enjoyed my time out here. It feels like a family member is moving away."

At Monday's meeting, the authority approved paying some invoices, closing accounts and other housekeeping tasks necessary as management transfers to SMG.

But it was also a time for authority members to reflect on their time with the board.

"I can't say all my experiences have been positive," said authority member Randy Patterson. "But I can tell you that I have been involved with committees all my professional life, and I've never seen one that operated like this. I'm proud to be a part of it."

"I have been thoroughly impressed with them and proud to serve with them," Sigur said of his fellow board members. "It was a yeoman's task trying to hold this thing together all these years."

Several members of the Police Jury praised authority members for taking unpaid positions on the board. The jury was responsible for appointing members to the authority.

"Let me tell you, these people didn't serve because there was anything in it for them," said juror Richard Billings. "They served out of the goodness of their heart and a sense of duty."

Still, when it came to a vote the Police Jury unanimously approved the agreement with SMG, though some jurors were hesitant about the deal.

There was a reason for that: The venue has struggled financially since it reopened earlier this year following the renovation, even with a dedicated tax to fund its operations.

The facility's executive director resigned just three months after the opening amidst finger pointing about how the maintenance and construction funds were spent.

"I would have liked to have seen what another six months could have done for us," authority member Don Myers said Monday.

That wasn't to be.

Juror Sean McGlothlin, who has been critical of the authority's management and pushed hard for SMG to take over, characterized the authority's long tenure as "good intentions, but a lot of bad history."

"I appreciate their service," McGlothlin said. "But we've been needing professionals to come in and manage this Coliseum."

The El Karubah Cenla Shrine Circus, featuring acts by the Jordan World Circus, was held Saturday, Aug. 26, 2017 at the Rapides Parish Coliseum. Aerial and animal acts were part f the performance. Children were also able to interact with and ride different animals.(Photo: Melinda Martinez)